Jack's Buddies

This picture makes me happy.  These boys are friends of Jack through church.  This picture was taken at their adoption party.  

It's been about three years now since we first met these boys.  They were originally foster kids that were living with a family that attends our church.  Jack immediately became good friends with both of them.  The family that was fostering them was only a temporary home, as it hadn't been decided whether their birth parents would be able to get custody of them again.  My heart breaks for little kids that are torn away from their parents, so I pretty much fell in love with both of them rather quickly.  

And I felt a personal struggle with the situation myself.  Right around the time that I lost the last pregnancy, we learned that the boys were going to go back to the group home and then to a different foster home in a few months time.  I panicked.  Joe and I had been praying about our family, and although I had lost two pregnancies, we were still convinced that our family was not complete.  I started to come to the realization that maybe there was a different way we were supposed to grow our family.  Was it foster care?  Was it adoption?  I brought these things to Joe's attention, and we both prayed about it some more.  We both got the answer that we weren't supposed to intervene with these boys.  OK, that was heart wrenching for me.   Every Sunday I would come to church and hold my breath wondering whether they would be there or not.  I kept wondering whether we were doing the right thing, I kept worrying about their future.  And then we got pregnant with Jacoby.  And right around the same time, the boys showed up at church with a different family.  Everything came together for both of our families right around the same time.  Our prayers were answered, we were having that baby we kept feeling we needed to add to our family.  The boys were in a new home, and it had the potential to be a forever home.  What I didn't know at the time I was having all that inner turmoil was that behind the scenes a plan was being quietly carried out to switch the boys to the brother and his wife of the original foster home.  This couple had been unable to have children of their own.  And suddenly I realized why we were getting the answer not to take these boys in our home.  They were destined for a family already, it was already in His plan.  And I cannot even begin to tell you how thankful and happy I was.  I mean honestly, I was overjoyed for everyone involved.  

The adoption went through without a hitch, and the boys are extremely happy and well adjusted kids.  And they are LOVED.  And not only do they have a home here on earth, we were blessed to be able to attend the temple sealing for them, making them an eternal family as well.  

The evening after the temple sealing, the family hosted an adoption party.  It was a really great thing to be able to celebrate this event with them and with our friends.  

These pictures are my favorite, and I cried the second I read the words.  I may have cried a little bit just now reading them again.  I just think it's so wonderful that these boys found a forever home in a loving family.

The theme of the party revolved around finding the missing puzzle piece to their family.  All the decorations were puzzle pieces.  

This was really cute.  I can see how it is helpful for adopted children to be able to relate to other people (or superhero's!).

Beautiful family.

I am really happy knowing that every Sunday these boys will be at church with their new family.  I am thankful that Jack will have the opportunity to grow up with them and become lifelong buddies.  I am also thankful that I get the opportunity to watch them grow, in a loving and forever home.